And the Reading goes on and on...

Lets just get in to this one, shall we?'Wired' by Robin Wasserman. 

SO basically....
She had a new Body: Mechanical, unfeeling, inhuman. She had a new life, one that would last forever. At least, it was supposed to. 
But now everything Lia though she new has turned out to be a lie; everyone she thought she loved has been stolen away. And someone is trying to get rid of the  mechs, once and for all.
Lia will risk everything to save herself and the people she can't live without. but not before facing one final truth: she can't save everyone.

Sounds Good right. The final book in a series should be good. Well this one was not...IT WAS FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!!! 

In any book it gets to a point where you think 'ok, I know where this is going.' And this book did, and then I was taken for a ride through a winding maze that never stopped. 

Ok, here is how a book goes: You read and then there is a problem. You think they will solve it with solution 'A' and if that doesn't work it is on to solution 'B'. Right?

Well not in 'Wired'. Oh no. Lets try 'C', 'D', 'E'... and so on. I am fairly good at predicting the path a story takes. I had no clue with this story what direction they would go.

A problem comes up. Lets fix it. we get the problem solved and begin to implement it and half way through we get stopped. Ok, fine. Lets take another approach...and another...and another.

READ THE 'SKINNED' SERIES BY ROBIN WASSERMAN!!! LOVED IT!!!!!

I could talk about this series for a long time but you don't need to read that, I would rather you read the books for yourself, and gave me your comments, feedback and suggestions.

 SO...On with the show!

Next in my line of reading adventures is the first book my favorite author wrote. 'The Risen Empire' by Scott Westerfeld. Luckily this is a two book series so will also talk about the sequel in a little bit. So, please join me in reading them.

.....The undead Emperor has ruled his mighty interstellar empire of eighty human worlds for sixteen hundred years. Because he can grant a form of eternal life, creating an elite known as the Risen, his power has been absolute. He and his sister, the Child Empress, who is eternally a little girl, are worshiped as living gods. No one can touch them.
      Not until the Rix, machine-augmented humans who worship very different gods: AI compound minds of planetary extent. the Rix are cool, relentless fanatics, and their only goal is to propagate such AI's through the galaxy. They seek to end, by any means necessary, the Emperor's prolonged tyranny of one and supplant it with an eternal cybernetic dynasty of their own. They begin by taking the Child Empress hostage. Captain Laurent Zai of the Imperial Frigate Lynx is tasked with her rescue.
     Separated by light-years, bound by an unlikely love, Zai and pacifist senator Nara Oxham must each, in their own way, face the challenge of the Rix as they hold the fate of the empire in their hands. 

...Well, thats what the book Jacket says. Sounds like an adventure to me. Though I do have to admit that with all his books I have read that it takes a good chapter to get into them. They tend to start out by hitting you in the face with random detail that you have to sort out in your own mind. But once you do, Scott Westerfeld takes you into his world that you can't let go of.

Following 'The Risen Empire' I will read the second book in the 'Succession' Series...'The Killing of Worlds' by Scott Westerfeld

 Unfortunately the wonderful tidbit that they entice you with on the inner cover gives away the ending of the first book so I will have to wait to put down the synopsis of this one until after I read it. 

Sad, I know. But I hate when things are spoiled for me and so I will not spoil them for any one else. 

So until 'The Risen Empire' has been read, I am off. Keep reading and please share with me what you read so that I may enjoy them too!

Tirgeminal Nuralgia

I want to get serious for a second. it is a rare thing when I do so take advantage of it... Is it not just the best thing ever when you think you have heard of it all and the world throws a curve ball at you? Last year (seems like forever) i was diagnosed with a nasty little thing called Trigeminal Neuralgia. I like the old term for it, tic douloureux (Tic-de-la-roo). It is just funner to say don't ya think. Here is the quick way to explain it.

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN, or TGN), also known as prosopalgia,^[1] Fothergill's disease,^[2] or formerly suicide disease is a neuropathic disorder characterized by episodes of intense pain in the face, originating from the trigeminal nerve. The clinical association between TN and hemifacial spasm is the so-called tic douloureux.^[3] It has been described as among the most painful conditions known to humankind.^[4] It is estimated that 1 in 15,000 or 20,000 people suffer from TN, although the actual figure may be significantly higher due to frequent misdiagnosis. In a majority of cases, TN symptoms begin appearing more frequently over the age of 50, although there have been cases with patients being as young as three years of age. It is more common in females than males.

I love Wikipedia some times don't you. Makes life a little easier to just copy paste. (I try to be serious, but my sassiness keeps seeping in)

I only bring this up here because I have been having more and more frequent episodes and It always helps to have someone to talk to. Yes there are online groups but that just seems so impersonal for some reason. They already know, so no talking is needed. You just say 'hey, I am one of you!' and they understand. That doesn't help me. Though I don't really want to talk about it at all. I would rather just veg on the couch in pain. Since it will never go away.

I am willing to talk about it, though if you don't have it you will not fully understand, like with all illnesses. so I just wanted to make people aware. 'The more you know' type of thing.

I hate that that this is one of those many things that no one knows about. There are so many people out there suffering from an invisible disease, any one of them, and we don't know. they need our compassion and help.

Compassion. Funny word that. We say it but how often have we really given it? for any reason... do you even know the real definition?

Compassion is the emotion that one feels in response to the suffering of others that motivates a desire to help.

How often do we as a people feel compassion...how often do we act on it? Having TGN has shown me my own faults in this aspect. I wish that others would take closer look at their own look at life and their treatment of others. we are all so absorbed in our own lives that we never stop to think how others are doing. TGN is just one example.

Next time you see someone treat them with the compassion all of God's creatures deserve to be treated with. You never know how they may be suffering on the inside.

Summer Reading List continues through Fall and Winter

Ok, I know i have been bad and not updating my reading list, but never fear the reading has not stopped! So take a moment this one will be a little long.

The last book that I told you I would read was 'Shadow on the Crown' by Patricia Bracewell. I am true to my word. I read it. The whole, gruelingly long, boring thing. Ok, that was not fair. It was not long, it just took me a while to finish. I hate to leave a book unfinished. Even if it is so boring I have to force my self to pick it up. Who knows, maybe it will surprise you and the end will make it all worth while...or in this case, it wont.

This story is based on true historical events. A young (very) noble woman is married off to the King (much, much older). The king has no faith in her or her alliances. The young queen is trusted by no one and shunned by all. Eventually she gains the love of the Kings eldest son...not good, as you can imagine.
Her attendants try to kill an children she may have. They keep her away from the king in all her duties as a wife and Queen. She has many trials as the kingdom (England) has constant threats of war with Vikings. It is one horrible thing after another and yet through it all she keeps her head high and does what is right for her kingdom first and herself second. She eventually earns the love of her people and the trust of her King.

This sounds like a good book right? That I thought. Though a story may be good the writing is what keeps you reading. A book should have a flow of ups and downs. A build up to a climax that makes you go "Wow! what a good read." This book left me feeling like I was trudging through mud just to get to the next page. There was no ups, no downs, just a constant flat land. I could put this book down for a week or more and not care what happened next, But true to my nature I did finish it. I took me forever. 

My recommendation would be to skip this one. Unless they get a better writer to make it exciting.

What came next for this reader? After a book that let me down so drastically I decided to pick one I knew could not disappoint. 'Doctor Who: Revenge of the Judoon' by Terrance Dicks.

I picked this one because I am a big DW fan and at only 102 pages it wasn't to long, it was just long enough to get me out of my book depression that the last pick put me in and, come on...Doctor Who!

If you are not a Doctor Who fan I would highly recommend you become one. Time/space travel, Sassiness, and adventure. A great combination. 

I would suggest you watch a few episodes of the current seasons on BBC, with David Tennant, to get a feel for this Doctor. 

For a book of it's size there is plenty to keep me interested. The Doctor, as he calls himself, travels time and space in a T.A.R.D.I.S. This beautiful ship brings the Doctor and his companion, Martha Jones to Balmoral in 1902. Here they meet Captain Harry Carruthers - friend of the new king, King Edward VII. Together they head for the castle to see the king - only to find that Balmoral Castle is goon, leaving a hole in the ground. The Doctor realizes it is the work of the Judoon - a race of ruthless space police.

While Martha and Carruthers seek answers in London, the Doctor finds himself in what should be the most deserted place on Earth - and he is not alone.

With help from Arthur Conan Doyle, the Doctor and his friends discover a plot to take over the world. With time running out, who will fall victim to the revenge of the Judoon?

I suggest you read this to find out what happens. It is a good quick read that brought me out of the funk that the last book cast over me. Though I am not sure that it would make a good tv episode, it did entertain me during the few lunch breaks it took to finish it.

On with the show, as it were. I told you I was a little behind.

This is the second book in the 'Skinned' series. I was not disappointed with the first book and this one continued to entertain me. 'Crashed' by Robin Wasserman is a great sequel to the first.

Lia no longer believes in before. Six months after the crash that killed her, six months after being reborn, Lia has finally accepted her new reality. She is a machine, a mech, and she belongs with her own kind. It's a wild, carefree life, without rules and without fear. Because there's nothing to fear when you have nothing left to lose.

But when a voice from her past cries out for revenge, everything changes. Lia is forced to choose between her old life and her new one. Between humans and mechs. Between sacrificing the girl she used to be and saving the boy she used to love. Even if it means he'll hate her forever.

Who couldn't love a book like that? It kept me entertained and wanting more. There where a few twists that I didn't expect and some good set ups for a few things that I hope will happen.  All I need is for the next book to show up and I will be all over it.

I diffidently recommend you read this series. It kept me entertained and I know it will you as well!

And last but not least...
 
I like to put lighter reads in between the more intense books. It is like exercising. You don't just keep adding weight or your brain might be crushed. So my next 'inbetweener' as I call them is another Doctor Who...I got a 4 pack. (shrugs)

This one is 'Doctor Who: Peacemaker' by James Swallow. It is a western. Sci-fi and westerns go great together, just watch Firefly if you don't believe me.

So, the peace and quiet of a remote homestead in the 1880's American West is shattered by the arrival of shadowy outriders searching for 'the healer'. When the farmer refuses to help them, they raze the house to the ground using guns that shoot bolts of energy instead of bullets...

In the town of Redwater, the Doctor and Martha learn of a snake-oil salesman whose patent medicines actually cure his patients. But when the Doctor and Martha investigate they discover the truth is stranger, and far more dangerous.

Caught between the law of the gun and the deadly plans of intergalactic mercenaries, the Doctor and Martha are about to discover just how wild the West can become.

It is entertaining read that kept me coming back for more. Being a DW fan I kinda knew where this was going. so for me it was kinda predictable, but a good adventure just the same. I am a little sad it is over but at the very least I can move on to the next adventure.

On to the next Adventure!....

I have a problem when reading books. I tend to start new series with out finishing the last, even if I have the next book in the series. Yes I like to finish the series as quickly as I can, but then I have those days where I just pick up a random book and start reading, somehow forgetting that I have a series to finish. Lets just call it 'mom brain'. 
 
I will not let that happen today! No sir! So that brings me to my next choice in my reading list...
'Wired' by Robin Wasserman. The final book in the 'Skinned' series. I actually grabbed another book before I remembered that I had this one. What Can I say. I got a gift card to Powell's Book Store and I couldn't help my self.

I will be finishing this series and all the others I have on my shelf if it kills me!!

So on with Wired....
She had a new Body: Mechanical, unfeeling, inhuman. She had a new life, one that would last forever. At least, it was supposed to. 

But now everything Lia though she new has turned out to be a lie; everyone she thought she loved has been stolen away. And someone is trying to get rid of the  mechs, once and for all.

Lia will risk everything to save herself and the people she can't live without. but not before facing one final truth: she can't save everyone.

.... Sounds like a good ending to me. I can't wait to find out and share my thoughts with everyone!

 

Summer Reading List Marches On...

When one wants to escape life, a book is a great way to go. This time around I hid in the crazy world of 'Skinned' by Robin Wasserman. It was futuristic world where we bombed the crap out of each other and only the rich have survived. Well, only the rich have survived in any form of living. The story follows a teenager who gets in a nasty car wreck and to saver her life her parents have her mind down loaded and put into a mechanical body.

Well, as you can imagine this creates all sorts of problems for her, her family, her friends, and the religious groups as well. This book takes us though her journey in learning how to use the body, deal with her life, and deal with what she has become.

It was a great ride. It sets the stage perfectly for the next two books, which, with any luck, I will find soon. They did rename the book and the series after I got it. So, if you are looking for 'Skinned' it is now the 'Skinned Series'. It ticked me off. If you name a book, stick with it. Me, being me, will try to find the next two books in original form. Thank goodness for Goodwill.

All in all, I highly recommend the book for anyone interested in plausible futuristic books. Who knows, maybe our grand kids will download their brains into a machine. Only time will tell.

On to the Next Reading Adventure on 'The Summer Reading List'. "Shadow on the Crown" by Patricia Bracewell. While taking a much needed brake from life, my friend and I went to the big B&N. With. Out. Kids. Amazing right? I am a very pick book finder. I read so many backs of books that my head was going to spin. Towards the end of out little 'vacation' I came across this little gem, of piece of fire starter, only time will tell.


Here is the jist:

In 1002, fifteen­-year-old Emma of Normandy crosses the Narrow Sea to wed the much older King Athelred of England, whom she meets for the first time at the church door. Thrust into an unfamiliar and treacherous court, with a husband who mistrusts her, stepsons who resent her and a bewitching rival who covets her crown, Emma must defend herself against her enemies and secure her status as queen by bearing a son.

Determined to outmaneuver her adversaries, Emma forges alliances with influential men at court and wins the affection of the English people. But her growing love for a man who is not her husband and the imminent threat of a Viking invasion jeopardize both her crown and her life.

Based on real events recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Shadow on the Crown introduces readers to a fascinating, overlooked period of history and an unforgettable heroine whose quest to find her place in the world will resonate with modern readers.

Sounds interesting right? I thought so. So onto the world of 1002 and England. I hope I come out alive. As always I would love you to read along and share your opinions as well. 

If you have a book I should read, let me know. I am always up for a good book.

Summer Reading Add-on

 

My 7 year old needs to read every day. I am proud to announce that he has chosen ....Wait for it......HARRY POTTER!!!!! You could not find a prouder mother right now. 

So technically, for my Summer Reading I am always reading 2 books. "(name)" and HARRY POTTER!!!

Summer Reading List Cont....

I just finished reading 'The Witch's Daughter' by Paula Brackston and I wanted to share my thoughts with you all while they were still fresh in my mind. While I usually like to take a day or two to process what I have read, with this book I processed it after the first 1/3 of the book. If you do end up reading it there are definable sections to it. 

The basic story line is of a witch names Elizabeth. She lives for a ridiculously long time and tells three of her life stories to a young girl, hence the 1/3 bit. But they are all the same. She is having a good time, bad guy comes and mucks it all up. She escapes, and repeat. Each of the little stories are a good little read and should (in my opinion) have been elaborated and turned into books of their own.

On the down side the Author does give to much description for areas that don't need it. Adding words to make the book longer will not make it any better, in my opinion. The writing was ok, it was not kick you out of your head great, but on the other hand it did not suck either.

I have two ways of looking at a book. 1: will I read it a gain? Yes - Keep it. No - Donate it. I believe this will land in the donate pile. Don't get me wrong, I did like the book. It was a fast read...at times, but I will not be reading it again.


Now on to the next book on my reading list. I have chosen 'Skinned' (Cold Awakening #1) by Robin Wasserman. So here is the jist from the back of the book:

The Download was supposed to change the world. It was supposed to mean the end of aging, the end of death, the birth of a new humanity. But it wasn't supposed to happen to someone like Lia Kahn.

And it wasn't supposed to ruin her life.

Lia knows she should be grateful she didn't die in the accident. The Download saved her--but it also changed her, forever. She can deal with being a freak. She can deal with the fear in her parents' eyes and the way her boyfriend flinches at her touch. But she can't deal with what she knows, deep down, every time she forces herself to look in the mirror: She's not the same person she used to be.

Maybe she's not even a person at all.

It sounded interesting to me. Not to mention it was endorsed by one of my favorite authors. (Scott Westerfeld) If I end up liking it we all know I will hunt down the rest of the 'Cold Awakening' series, but for now this one will have to do. 

I have a little hobby of going in to small book stores when I go out of town. I like to get one or two gently loved books. I always find the good ones this way. I rarely go out of town, so we will see how 'Waucoma Bookstore' in Hoodriver, Oregon steps up to the challenge with 'Skinned'. 

Join me if you can and share your comments below. Wish me luck! 

Note: Since I got the Book 'Skinned" they changed the name of the book and the trilogy. It is now 'The Skinned Trilogy' and the books are Frozen, Shattered, and Torn....I am not happy about that. Pick a name, and stick with it.

Summer Reading List

I decided not to wait this year and started my summer reading early. I mean why not? I love to read. I did the most responsible thing ($ wise) and decided to read all the 'new' books I already had. Not that I wont get any more books and add them to the ever growing list.

I do not have any order that I am going in. If iI did I would post the list so you could join me if you wanted. Though If you send me a note I will gladly let you know what my next few selections will be.

I should note that there are more than a few books that are part of a series. Like #4 or something. I hate when I have to wait for a book in a series to come out, don't you?

Well I started with 'The Eyre Affair' by Jasper Fforde. My best friend recommended it, and leant it to me as well. I have been moving and boxed up all my books. Horrible I know, it couldn't be helped.

'The Eyre Affair' is an easy read. It is set in 1985, but it has a futuristic quality to it. Time travel, amazing inventions, and a society that it very different from our own. It centers around a woman named Thursday Next. She is a cop of sorts and is the only one who can capture the most notorious villain of the day. Unfortunately she only a Special Operative in the LiteraTech office. In other words, she deals with fraud and such pertaining to books. Which is a fairly big deal to those of us who love books. It is not like she is in a higher SpecOp like 12 or even 5. ( who knows what they do) She has a crazy uncle who invents great machines, an ex-boyfriend who comes back into her life to muddle her mind and constant dreams of the war she was in. It was well written and a fun story. It stands well on its own but has other books that follow Thursday Next's carrier.

If you need something that is fun to read, but you can also put down for a day or two, this would be a good one for you.

On to the next book on my scrambled up list. 'The Witch's Daughter' by Paula Brackston. I recently picked this one up on a trip to B&N with the BFF. This book spans time. The daughter of a witch witness her mothers hanging in 1628. She runs. The rest of her life she is running. Present day. She is still hopping from town to town across England. It is story or love, magic, loss and fear. Once i read the back of the book I knew I to read it. As soon as I am done I will let you know how it went, then share with you my next pick. If you choose to read along with me feel free to share your opinions and views of the books as well.

I also welcome recommendations.